Airport plan: More free parking time

Air travelers will find parking fees going both up and down at the Juneau Airport this spring - and they may be dodging construction work for a few weeks.

The canopy over the sidewalk of the North Terminal, which houses the airport's air taxi and charter services, will be torn down Tuesday evening and reconstructed over the next six weeks. Although the flow of traffic will be affected, airport officials do not expect any serious delays or schedule changes.

``The canopy is part of the older section of the airport and needs to be replaced to avoid any problems,'' said Patty deLaBruere, the airport's public information officer. ``We're trying to get this project done by mid-April, before we get into the peak season and everybody is really busy.''

Those who park their cars at the airport will notice another change this spring. Long-term parking charges are going up, but drivers will be able to park longer for free in the short-term lot.

The airport hopes to alleviate congestion at the terminal curbs and parking lot exits by increasing the free time allotted in the short-term lot, deLaBruere said. Currently, the airport allows 15 minutes free parking but that will increase to 30 minutes as of April 1.

``We're hoping that the additional time will move people out of the lot quicker and cause less congestion along the curb in front of the terminal. We also anticipate that the waiting time in line to exit the parking lot will decrease especially during peak arrival and departure times,'' she said.

As of April 1, the airport will increase its long-term parking fees by $1 per day.